Consistent Clare ready for return to top flight

DIVISION TWO FINAL/Wexford v Clare: LAST YEAR it was freely accepted that the final between Offaly and Wexford was probably …

DIVISION TWO FINAL/Wexford v Clare:LAST YEAR it was freely accepted that the final between Offaly and Wexford was probably more important to the counties than their championship meeting a couple of weeks later.

As it turned out Offaly won promotion and Wexford won the Leinster quarter-final. In the long run who was better off?

Wexford manager Colm Bonnar has been repeating his argument of last year about the need to expand the top flight to prevent traditional hurling counties atrophying in Division Two.

Were his team to win here, that problem would be solved but there is a strong feeling abroad that such deliverance won’t happen and perhaps that apprehension is firing Bonnar’s concerns.

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Clare’s campaign has been more impressive and they are unbeaten even if tomorrow’s opponents held them to a draw after a startling comeback.

With Darach Honan, star of last year’s under-21 All-Ireland success, expected to figure at some stage after injury, Clare look good enough to extend what has been a strong modern record against Wexford.

CLARE: tba

WEXFORD: N Carton; P Roche, K Rossiter, C Kenny; R Kehoe, D Stamp, M Travers; H Kehoe, C Farrell; A Shore, E Quigley, D Lyng; R Jacob, S Banville, P Atkinson.

* Tickets can be purchased online at www.gaa.ie/tickets up until 9.0 tomorrow. Prices are as follows: Adult Stand €25, Adult Terrace €15,

Seán Moran

Seán Moran

Seán Moran is GAA Correspondent of The Irish Times